Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a globally recognized residential and commercial real estate franchise. It was founded in 1971 in Santa Ana, California, by Art Bartlett and Marsh Fisher.

Today, the company is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey. Century 21 began franchising shortly after its founding and experienced rapid growth throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

The brand now operates in more than 86 countries, with approximately 14,250 independently owned and operated offices and over 147,000 affiliated sales professionals. It provides real estate brokerage services, including residential, luxury, commercial, and international property transactions.

Training

Century 21 provides several structured training opportunities to help franchisees successfully operate their offices and integrate into the CENTURY 21® System.

1. Initial Training (International Leadership Academy - ILA)
   Attendance at the ILA program is mandatory for all new franchisees opening their first CENTURY 21® office. It must be completed within 24 months of the office’s opening date, and can be attended by either the franchisee or an approved designee.
2. Training for Transferred or Branch Offices
   Franchisees acquiring offices through assignment/transfer or opening branch offices must bear the cost of attending the ILA program. While ILA is not required for branch office purchases, it is highly encouraged.
3. Continuing Assistance and Education
   CENTURY 21 provides ongoing updates, improvements, and changes through bulletins, electronic communication, phone consultations, or in-person visits. They also offer optional educational seminars, conferences, and online courses, which may incur fees and require the franchisee to cover travel and related expenses.

Territory Protection

Century 21 grants a limited territory protection to franchisees, specifically a "protected area" defined as a ¼-mile radius from the franchisee's office location. This protection means no other Century 21 franchisee will be granted a location within that radius.

However, this does not prevent other franchisees from seeking clients or listings in the same market, nor does it stop Century 21 from using alternative sales channels like the internet.

Although the franchisee has a localized area where no other physical franchise can be opened, the protection is not absolute. Century 21 reserves the right to allow other franchisees or company-owned operations to compete within the broader area outside the protected radius.